Sidewalk vault



Dec. 15, 1936.

L. c. HAGAN SIDEWALK VAULT F il ed Jan. 30, 1935 Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to sidewalk vaults to be used for the temporary storage of refuse, ashes, garbage and similar waste materials of' municipalities. In the most thickly inhabited districts, the regular collection of such waste materials takes place but pending these collections, receptacles containing the waste materials are temporarily placed upon the sidewalks to facilitate such collections. These receptacles are not only unsightly and obnoxious but ofttimes the contents thereof are strewed over the lawns, sidewalks and streets. It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a storage vault which can be buried within the ground or sidewalk thereby eliminating the unsightliness of the ordinary containers, and when installed will be attractive in appearance and capable of providing a section or part of the sidewalk and further, one in which access may be easily and readily gained for temporarily storing such waste materials therein or the removal therefrom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sidewalk vault of this character having a knock-down construction whereby it may be packed in a comparatively small package for shipment, one which when received can be assembled and installed by the average person and one which would be comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture, thereby rendering the 30 same commercially desirable. i

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sidewalk vault of the aforesaid character which when installed within the ground or sidewalk, will permit access to be gained to the various parts thereof and the removal of several of such parts as would enable the proprietor thereof to keep the vault in a clean and sanitary condition.

Other objects of the invention will be in part 40 obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawing and in the detailed following description based thereon, set out an embodiment of the same.

In this drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of my improved vault when installed, showing a portion of the sidewalk and having a portion of the cover of the vault broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same;

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2 on a slightly enlarged scale but having some of the parts of the vault broken away, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section taken at right angles to Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the acccmpanying drawing wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by; similar reference characters throughout the several views, I have herein shown a portion of a sidewalk l, a curbing 2 and a roadway 3 of a street. A portion of the sidewalk l is removed adjacent the curbing 2 in order that a hole or opening 4 may be formed for the reception of the vault.

The vault comprises a frame 5 preferably rectangular as shown and preferably made of angle iron seated within grooves or similar recesses formed in the sidewalk l and the curbing 2. One section of this frame 5 has bosses 8 formed therewith to which is hingedly connected as at 1 a cover 8. As shown, the bosses 6 are formed on the outer edge of frame 5 in the same plane as frame 5, so that cover 8 will cover the whole of frame 5, including the edge carrying bosses 6, and will tightly engage all the edges of frame 5. As shown in Fig. 2, cover 8 is provided with a depressible handle member 8a movably insertable through an aperture in the edge of cover 8 opposite the hinges, and provided with a terminal retaining flange to hold it against the cover plate when pulled up. Secured to and extending around the marginal lower faces of the cover is a gasket 9 which is adapted to rest within the frame 5 when the cover is in a closed position and the outer face of this cover is adapted to lie flush with the upper edges of the 3? frame 5 in the manner as better illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. The outer face of the cover 8 has a raised treadway surface preferably of the design as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing in order that this outer face of the cover may form a part or section of the sidewalk when in its closed position.

Adapted to be seated within the opening 4 formed within the earth below the sidewalk, is a metal container [0 which is herein shown of a rectangular configuration having its upper end opened and a heading ll formed around such opened upper end of the container. A drain opening I2 is also formed within the lower end of this container.

Secured to the inner face of one of the side walls of this metal box or container I0 is a bracket I 3 through which extends an arm or bar l4 having rack teeth I5 formed in one edge thereof. As shown, bracket I3 is preferably on a side of the rectangle at right angles to the side carrying bosses 6 and hinges 1. The upper end of this bar I4 is pivotally connected as at I6 to the cover 8 and is utilized for retaining the cover in various open positions or the position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawing, Carried by a chain I! secured to the bracket I3 is a plug 18 capable of being inserted through an opening [9 formed within the bracket 13 in order that it may engage any one of the openings 20 formed within the arm H, for retaining the cover 8 in any one of its various opened positions.

Seated within the container II] is one or more receptacles 2| each being provided with handles 22, whereby they may be manually raised from the container 10. Whereas, in the acompanying drawing I have shown two of these receptacles, any number may be used as desired or preference dictates. One of the receptacles may be employed for temporarily storing refuse, another for storing ashes, and another for storing garbage. These receptacles may be carried to and from the house of the proprietor thereof and temporarily stored within the receptacle l0 and during the regular collection of the waste materials, these receptacles 2i may be withdrawn from the vault, emptied and again returned for further use.

The container 50 is so seated within the opening 4 of the ground that water or any other liquids accumulating therein may readily drain oil into the ground through the opening l2 and. this container is supported by the depending brackets 23 carried by frame 5. These brackets 23 depend from the frame 5 in such a manner as to permit the beading ll of the container 10 to rest thereupon thereby normally retaining the bottom of the container in spaced relation with the bottom of the opening 4 formed within the ground so as to permit proper drainage of the container through the opening 12 and furthermore, by so mounting the container upon these brackets 23, the operator may readily grasp the same and withdraw the container from the ground in order that it may be cleaned and kept in a sanitary condition.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided a sanitary sidewalk vault for temporaily storing refuse, garbage, ashes and similar waste materials, the various parts thereof being of a knock-down construction may be readily crated in a compact package to facilitate the shipment thereof. When received by the user, it is only necessary to provide an opening within the sidewalk and place the various parts of the vault therein. By the use of such a vault, the various waste materials stored therein will be hidden from view and prevented from being blown or otherwise strewed over the lawns, sidewalks or streets. The user may at any time store within the vault such waste materials and they will at all times be readily accessible for permanent collection. When the vault is installed and the cover thereof closed, it will form a section or part of the sidewalk and persons may readily walk thereover in safety.

Manifestly, the construction herein shown is capable of considerable modification and such modifications as come within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:-

1. A sidewalk vault of a knock-down construction comprising an open rectangular frame adapted to be mounted in the sidewalk and have its upper edge lie flush with the outer surface of the sidewalk, said frame consisting of angle bars having their opposite ends connected to form a continuous groove therein, bosses formed with one of said angle bars and projecting therefrom in the same plane therewith, a cover hingedly connected to said bosses and adapted to be seated within the continuous groove formed by said angle bars when in a closed position whereby the outer face of said cover will lie flush with the upper edge of said frame, a plurality of L- shaped brackets each having one end secured to said angle bars and the opposite ends freely depending from and projecting within said frame, a removable container supported by and suspended from said brackets and means connecting said cover with said container whereby the cover may be retained in several of its open positions.

2. A sidewalk vault adapted to be placed within a recess Within the walk and the ground below the same comprising in combination an open rectangular frame, said frame consisting of a plurality of angle bars having their opposite ends connected together to form a continuous groove within the upper face thereof, a cover hingedly connected to said frame and adapted to rest within said continuous groove of the frame in order that the outer face of said cover may lie flush with the upper edges of said frame, brackets secured to and depending from the lower face of said frame and a receptacle removably suspended from said brackets whereby the receptacle may be supported within the opening within the ground below the sidewalk and retained in spaced relation from the walls of the ground whereby drainage may be eifected between the receptacle and the ground and said receptacle may be removed through its opened supporting frame.

LAWRENCE C. HAGAN. 

